Ad in the August 16, 1958 issue of the Dodge City Globe

 

Bernie Beydler and Vernon Schrater showing off their first rollover trophy.  This spelled the end of the original body on this car until it turned up in a pasture many years later.

 

The name “Johnnie” was painted on the door when John McGee was the driver.

 

 

Gene Potts before the crash at Oakley in 1961

 

On the trailer the morning after crashing during warm-up laps at Oakley.

 

 

 

After purchasing the car from Cecil Maupin, Vernon Schrater had “Casper the Ghost” added to the right side…

…and “Hot Stuff” painted on the left side.

  

The car’s original body as discovered in a pasture a few years ago. 

 

 

The car after being modified into a rail in 1960.

 

 

Bill Bookout in 1963

Maupin’s Raffled Jalopy

 

 

Early in 1957, Cecil Mapuin, Sr. purchased a jalopy powered by a flathead Ford V-8 from C. M. “Junior” Hower of Kansas City, Missouri for $1,000.  Maupin had intended to replace the #98 coupe his son, Cecil “Junior” Maupin, was driving that year on the Merrick Racing Circuit in western, Kansas.  As it turned out though, their older #98 coupe was the faster of the two cars so the Maupins completed that racing season with their older car while the new car spent most of that year on the sidelines.

Due to a disagreement between father and son, the Maupins decided not to race in 1958.  According to an article in the Dodge City Globe, the elder Maupin did not want to just sell the car so he donated it to be raffled off with the proceeds going to the Bronco Buster Boy’s Ranch at Dodge City, Kansas.  Race promoter Jack Merrick had a new Buick station wagon that happened to be painted to match the jalopy so he took possession of the car and towed it around Kansas placing it on display at various businesses and racetracks wherever he went in an attempt to boost ticket sales for the raffle.

A drawing was held before the “B” feature race at McCarty Speedway in Dodge City on August 16, 1958 and Evalee (Mrs. Wayne) Casteel was declared to be the winner.  The younger Maupin then went into the grandstands and offered Mrs. Casteel $1,000 cash for the car.  She accepted and Junior Maupin raced the car in the “B” feature race that same night.  Maupin had to start in the scratch position but advanced to finish second behind Bob Nave of Lyons, Kansas.

As the rift between father and son grew wider, Junior Maupin sold the car and trailer to Vernon Schrater of Timken, Kansas for $500.  Schrader had a figure of “Casper the Ghost” painted on the right door and fans often referred to the car as “Casper” rather than by its car number “24”.  A succession of drivers including Bernie Beydler, Bert Davis, Floyd "Dutch" Davis, Bill Bookout, John McGee, and Gene Potts drove the car.  Due to rule changes, Schrater modified the car into a “rail” in 1960 and sold it to Howard Pedigo of Great Bend, Kansas early in 1961.  Schrater continued to maintain the car for Pedigo though.

On August 20, 1961, Potts clipped the front of the grandstand during warm-up laps at Oakley, Kansas and flipped the car end-over-end several times down the front straightaway injuring Potts and heavily damaging the car.

Schrater repaired the car and later installed a Chevrolet 6-cylinder engine but it did not seem to run quite as good as it had before.

Pedigo sold the car to someone at Stockton, Kansas around 1964 and it is unclear what became of the car after that.

The car’s original body was discovered sitting in a pasture a few years ago and plans were made to build a “street rod” around it although it is not currently known if those plans have come to fruition.

If you know anything more about this car, please contact Bob Lawrence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Thank you to:

Bernie Beydler, Roger Burnett, Will Cokeley, Peggy Maupin, Roger Schrater, Steven Schrater, and Vernon Schrater 

 

 

 

 

 

  

All of the other photographs on this web page are from the Schrater family collection